This op-ed originally appeared in the Clarion-Ledger on April 26, 2020. Life never seems to follow a straight line. Six months ago, the Mississippi economy was moving along and all signs pointed to new — read, unallocated — money in the budget for the 2020 legislative session. At last, Mississippi would have money for all…
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In light of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, at a Special Called Meeting on March 26, 2020, the State Board of Education (SBE) voted on a number of temporary measures intended to grant current teachers and teacher candidates considerable flexibility in gaining entry to educator preparation programs (EPPs) as well as applying for…
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Updated on 3/12/2020 at 12:30 PM CST: The Senate voted unanimously to pass SB2864 on March 4, 2020. It has now been transmitted to the House. Today, the Senate Education Committee voted to extend the Mississippi Employer-Assisted Housing Teacher Program and remove the requirement that the program be administered in conjunction with the Federal National…
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HB274 UPDATE on 3/11/20: The House unanimously passed HB274 yesterday. It will now be transmitted to the Senate. The House Education Committee passed HB274 on February 25, 2020. The bill updates the requirements applicants must meet to qualify for the Higher Education Legislative Plan (HELP) Grant Program to align with changes in the college preparatory…
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UPDATE on 2/25/20 at 1:51 PM CST: The committee substitute sent from Senate Ed passed the Senate Appropriations Committee with no amendments. It will now be listed on the Senate Calendar for consideration by the full Senate. Read the committee substitute. Status Senator Brice Wiggins and Education Chair Senator Dennis Debar, Jr. filed the Senate pre-K…
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Updated on 3/12/2020 at 12:30 PM: The Senate voted unanimously to pass SB2508 on March 4, 2020. The bill has now been transmitted to the House. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed an amended SB2353 on March 3, 2020. The amended bill contains the same provisions, but only extends the repealer to 2021, instead of 2026,…
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UPDATE on 3/11/20: The Senate voted on March 4, 2020 to pass an amended SB2511 that, in addition to the bill’s original provisions, would allow the Mississippi School of the Arts (MSA) to certify supplemental teaching endorsements as well as alter how the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) classifies the licensure class of out-of-state applicants….
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